


The One with the Horse

by hardlifeyourlife



Category: The Witcher (TV)
Genre: But ive never read that book, Im also told this is similar to the circumstances in the Last Unicorn, M/M, Roach is a human, Shes also a lesbian, So it wasn't my intention but, kind of background geraskier but it will definitely be established, roach is butch change my mind
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:01:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23551969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hardlifeyourlife/pseuds/hardlifeyourlife
Summary: A mage casts a spell. The boys make a new friend out of an old friend.OR:The boys piss off a mage and she turns Roach into a human.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Comments: 8
Kudos: 100





	1. Chapter 1

The mage yelled something in Elder, although the wind whipping around them made it too loud to hear. Geralt reached a hand out and pulled Jaskier behind him, hoping to shield him from whatever stunt she was about to pull. He continued to stalk towards her, making the Quen sign to keep the brunt of the spell from affecting them. 

They’d been traveling through a village looking for a job when they’d heard of the necromancer at work in the woods, and Jaskier had been excited at the idea of Geralt fighting off something more human-esqe for once. Of course, Geralt had warned him that something more human meant something smarter than your average ghoul, but Jaskier had just scoffed. 

“I’m alive. What could she possibly do to me?” So, they’d taken the job, and here they were fighting her right outside of town where she had been living. 

Geralt watched as she finally finished casting the spell with a wave of her hands, and other than an intense wave of chaos washing over them, nothing happened. Geralt didn't take his eyes off of her; he attributed her lack of success to the sign at first, but something didn’t feel right about it. Almost as if she wasn’t aiming at him. He still felt Jaskier’s hand gripping the back of his armor, so the other man must not have incurred any injuries as well. 

"Geralt, ah. What did she just do?" Jaskier asked from behind him, having to yell to be heard, and Geralt only grunted in response. So he was fine then. 

The mage smirked at them, suddenly conjuring a portal and jumping through it without even a parting comment. Geralt charged after her, determined to follow her wherever she was going, but it closed just as he was nearing it. 

He cursed loudly, standing where the portal once was for just a moment, taking a couple deep breaths. Finally, he turned back around to Jaskier, sheathing his sword in the scabbard on his back. 

"We have to find her, she's not likely to stop hurting people just because we've caught on." Geralt said, walking in long strides towards Jaskier, scanning the line of trees behind them. "Where's Roach?"

"Oh she's just over-" Jaskier turned, pointing to where he had tied her up. "Oh, fuck, she's gotten loose Geralt. It must have been the wind." He ran a hand through his hair, and Geralt reached over and smacked him on the back of his head as though he would a child. 

"You mean to tell me that you've lost my horse?" Geralt asked, voice a growl in his throat. 

Jaskier turned back to him quickly, a deeply dramatic and offended look on his face, but not a pained one. It had barely been a love-tap. "Excuse me! Which one of us jumped off of her and charged into battle without hardly a second thought! I swear, for someone who hates mages you certainly run off fast enough when there’s a pretty fair one involved. Not that I wasn’t thinking the same thing, mind you- hey!”

Geralt grunted, stalking towards the trees where they had left the horse and effectively cutting the other man off mid-sentence. He didn’t have time for this.

"Come on buddy," Jaskier tried to keep up with him, finally doing so as they neared the treeline. "It's Roach! She must have gotten loose and wandered looking for a patch of grass and somewhere to piss more comfortably. If we don't find her in five minutes, I'll be shocked."

They made it to the edge of the forest and found Roach's saddle and bridle and all of their packs on the ground right where they had left her, but the horse itself was gone. As though it had just disappeared right out from under everything attached to its back. 

Geralt knelt down on the ground, and Jaskier watched him with interest before scanning the woods around them. There was nothing to mark that the horse had been led away from the sacks, but there was something interesting leading away and into the woods: footprints. 

"Don't suppose whoever took her got very far. I don't think she got that saddle off by herself. But why would they leave all of our stuff? Maybe they're nice thieves." Jaskier pondered. 

"Hmm." Geralt stood, still staring at the ground but walking swiftly through the woods. Jaskier followed close behind, and eventually they came upon a small spring only about fifteen feet away from where they had parked Roach. It was set into the ground a little, surrounded on all sides by a steep incline. Crouched next to it on the slim shore, wearing a thin white dress, was a girl. She looked to be in her early twenties, and she was rather short and broad-shouldered. She looked like she received a lot of exercise, and her arms were sort of burly. Her hair was wet, and although she seemed to be taking a drink from it now, it almost looked as though she’d been practically swimming in it.

Geralt crouched and watched her for a minute, and Jaskier made a face over his shoulder, making to crouch as well. "I never thought the White Wolf was a voyeur. If I'd known I might have been able to-" The attempt at a tease was cut off abruptly by Geralt shoving him forcefully into the clearing, biting out a quick "Go talk to her!" before ducking behind some brush so as not to be seen. Jaskier turned to scramble back into the brush and chastise his friend before a sturdy voice called out to him. 

"Hey! Small man! With the music on your back. Where are you going?" The girl yelled at him, and Jaskier whirled back around to her. She had straightened from her perch at the water's edge, and was watching him with a slightly bored expression. If Jaskier stopped to think about it, her gaze seemed awfully familiar.

"Small man? I assure you madam I am very average…" She came nearer, stepping across the rocks without care, and he could see that despite how he had originally perceived her, she was actually quite attractive. "...and above average at a great many things, my lady." He said, giving a deep bow in her direction and causing her to stop walking in surprise. He brought his lute around from his back and strummed a short chord. "Allow me one moment to compose a short ballad to mark our meeting, I'm sure our children will be singing it for generations." He could hardly start before she was stopping him, however.

"You've already written songs about me, music man. I've heard them almost every night. I do think they're very nice, and they help me fall asleep." She said, sounding rather happy about it.

Jaskier barely registered the rest of her sentence after she complimented him, stepping closer and moving to brush some of her wet, brown hair out of her face. "The only nice thing about my music must be you in it-" That was when she promptly bit him, hard, on the hand. 

He pulled away and she let him do so, looking undeterred and just standing there confidently. It had been nothing more than a warning nibble, not one that was supposed to inflict a great amount of pain. 

"What the hell are you doing?" He asked, voice squeaky as he squeezed his hand. "I'm bleeding!"

"Don’t touch me." She said, grinning, her arms crossed over her chest. Her voice was firm, but not angry. Jaskier looked at her in confusion before turning back to the bushes where Geralt was hiding. What was the witcher expecting him to do? 

"I don't know who you are, but it's no wonder that you've been cast out into the woods like this in nothing but your bed clothes if that's how you treat strangers. I'll have you know that I am very established-"

"I know who you are, Jaskier. We've been traveling together for almost twenty years at this point, don't you recognize me at all?" She asked, before spreading her hands out on either side of her. "I'm Roach."

"Uh… Geralt?" He called, deciding that enough was enough, feeling too confused to try and piece this together himself. Was she trying to insinuate that she was their horse? 

The witcher himself stood up finally, revealing himself in full to both of them. His face didn't reveal anything, but he must be confused at least. Shocked, maybe, at the crazy girl soaked to the bone and dressed in her nightclothes. 

The girl walked happily over to him, scrambling up the slightly steep incline, and pushed her way close to him as though looking for praise. "Hmm." Was all he said, before obliging and giving her head a slight scratch. Jaskier had the audacity to look offended. "You're Roach?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm Roach. I'm a horse. Although not right now. And I was thirsty, so I came here looking for some water and something to eat. I knew you'd find me eventually. You always do." She walked away from him and over to low hanging tree branch, picking at the leaves before putting a couple in her mouth absently. 

"I I don't understand, though, because you see our horse is, well, a horse. And you are a very feral woman who is… currently eating a leaf. Are you watching this? Didn't you see her bite me, Geralt? And you just believe her?" Jaskier complained, holding up his hand which had stopped bleeding as if to prove his point.

"My horse." Was all he said in response, turning and walking back to where they had left their packs. Roach followed obediently, and Jaskier looked at them both in shock before scrambling after them. 

Geralt carried most of their things, although Roach carried her own saddle thrown over her shoulder. She had tried to commandeer the bag of treats that Geralt usually kept for her, but he had snatched it away from her quickly. 

"These are only for when you're good. That's why they're called treats." He said, as if chastising a child, and she pouted and crossed her arms over her chest. 

"I'm a human now, Geralt, you can't tell me what to do anymore." She had pointed out, but he ignored her and put them into his pockets anyways. Jaskier avoided pointing out that a couple cubes of sugar wasn't going to hurt a horse, but it would hurt a human body if you kept at it too much. It made him wonder absently about the leaf she had eaten earlier. 

Despite it all, he still managed to sneak her a small snack that he had kept in his own stuff without Geralt noticing, pressing it into her hand with a playful smile on his face. She looked at it with wide eyes before grinning back at him and chomping it, walking right past Geralt with it in her hand as if showing it off. 

She was rather quiet herself, too, right along with Geralt. Although she didn't keep her opinions to herself when she had them like Geralt did. She'd apparently been struggling with not being able to talk and scream at them for doing stupid stuff

"And that time when you found out that guy was a dragon - I could tell as soon as I saw him what he was. And he knew I knew. It burned me up inside knowing something and not being able to share it." She said, sounding exasperated. Geralt gave her a pat on the shoulder as they entered the shop, similar to the way he always had. Her being human now didn't seem to throw him for much of a loop.

"What kind of clothes do you want to wear? A rough gal like you must not want any… series of skirts or bonnets or anything." Jaskier asked, motioning to her.

"Just a pair of trousers and some undergarments." Geralt said to the shopkeeper, motioning towards the dress she was wearing. "And that should make a fine shirt."

Roach shrugged at the clothes, it didn't seem like she had any opinion on it either way. Once she was wearing them she ran around a little bit, jumping up onto boxes and stools to test her range of movement. 

"I was worried I wouldn't be able to run around. I would hate feelings confined by clothes that I was forced to wear." She said, shifting the shirt a little bit. "I don't think I'll ever get used to these." She said, clutching at her breasts, and Jaskier laughed loudly. 

"You won't not have to." Geralt said, appearing by their side after trying to haggle for a room for the night. They'd chased off the necromancer after all, so it had sounded like he was getting a really good deal. "We'll catch up to her soon enough." He motioned for them to follow him, and he sat down at a table at the far wall. 

"You mean you're going to try and turn me back?" Roach asked after a while, sitting down next to Geralt, looking up at him curiously. "What if I don't want to be a horse again?" She asked.

"Hmm." He said, looking away from her, and her brow creased. 

"No, no! Don't 'hmm' me, how long have we travelled together? Tell me what happens if I decided I wanted to stay a human?" She asked, insistent. Jaskier had never seen anyone other than Yennefer force an answer out of Geralt before. Although, he supposed Geralt had never spoken to anyone more than he'd talked to Roach.

"It's not natural. It's a curse, Roach, not a gift. Turning you back would be doing you a favor." He said, turning to look her in the eye. Her hair was the same color that her coat had been, and her eyes were still the same- big and brown. Geralt reached out and ran his hand over her hair affectionately. "Trust me."

She opened her mouth to argue but realized she didn't know what to say, crossing her arms over each other on the table and ducked her head. 

Jaskier took that as his cue to stand, raising his lute over his head to get the rest of the tavern's attention, and began the tune to his newest song: Ode to A Witcher's Best Friend.


	2. Chapter 2

Geralt didn't quite dislike Roach being able to talk to him as much as Jaskier thought he would. For a man who's every word spoken seemed to hurt him more than any weapon ever could, he took well to her presence. 

When they had gone to bed the night before, Geralt had argued that she should sleep in the bed and he and Jaskier could share the floor. She didn't take it well. 

"Just because I'm a mare doesn't mean you have to treat me like a woman. The ground has always been fine for me before, why should it be different now?" She argued, not raising her voice but her indignance was all the same. 

"I'm just being polite. If you want to sleep on the floor then you can sleep on the floor and Jaskier can sleep on the bed." He said, quickly giving in to her whim, but she had a great opinion on that as well. 

"Well, just because I'm used to it doesn't mean I don't deserve something nice every once in a while. If you're determined to get rid of me, why should I live in squalor?" She asked, falling back onto the bed and stretching to get comfortable. 

"Fine, then Jaskier and I will sleep on the floor." He said, voice measured and patient. Jaskier watched their back and forth quietly, interested in this new side of both of them. The girl who'd never made a decision before and the man who would do anything to make her happy. He wondered who was going to break first. Geralt had hardly started unpacking his bedroll before she spoke up again. 

"Why don't you sleep on the bed? You sleep on the ground as much as me. You deserve a little comfort in your life every now and then." She said, although she didn't move from where she had snuggled herself in the covers. 

Jaskier expected him to just brush it off with his usual 'hmm' and continue working, but Geralt stopped, instead turning to Roach and patting her on the head. 

"I think you deserve it more. Now stop whining and go to sleep." He said, and although his voice was harsh his face had twisted into something that looked rather fond. 

It dropped as soon as he turned to Jaskier, though, and he bit out a gruff, "what?" in his direction. 

Jaskier hummed, a sly smile on his face. "Nothing, nothing. Just, you know." He motioned towards the bed. "You think she deserves it." He said teasingly, lilting his voice to get the most reaction out of the other man. 

"You're welcome to sleep in her stable if you're feeling jealous." He responded, spreading out his bedroll before straightening and beginning to take off his weapons and armor. 

Jaskier stood to help, taking the pieces from him as they came loose and setting them aside. "You've always been very funny, Geralt, that's why I like you. No, I'm not jealous. I just mean…" He cast a glance towards Roach, who had passed out fairly quickly. It seemed that turning into a human took a good deal of energy. 

"You just seem to care about her a lot. Which, you know, it's Roach. I don't know why I'm surprised. It's really very sweet." He said, voice soft. 

"Hmm." Was all Geralt said, and Jaskier frowned. But he kept talking despite himself. 

"I don't think it would be so bad to let her stay like this for a little while. I mean, we don't even have any leads on the mage who did this. I don't think it will hurt to let her enjoy it." He said, not meeting Geralt's eyes as he finished with the armor, setting it aside. 

"She's cursed, Jaskier. It's not a gift. The longer she stays like this the unhappier she'll become." Geralt explained, sitting down in the nearest chair and sliding his boots off. He found only silence from the other end of the room, and he dared to glance at his friend, so deep in thought that he looked as though his head would pop off.

"Leave it alone, Jaskier. You'll hurt yourself trying to put it together." He stretched, smirking at Jaskier to show that he was teasing before sitting down on his bedroll. "Let's get some sleep. Roach always wakes up earlier than us, and I imagine in this state she'll be waking us when she does."

Jaskier only sighed, stripping out of his doublet and pants until he was clad in only his underthings, folding them neatly and setting them aside. He spread out his own bedroll and blanket, scooting close to Geralt as he did so. They hadn't talked about this part yet, either. They didn't really talk about feelings as much as Jaskier would have appreciated, on any subject. 

Jaskier faced away from Geralt and attempted to get his mind to quiet down, and the Witcher reached over after a moment to pull him flush against his chest and hold him close. Geralt's hand found its way under his shirt and against his chest, fiddling with the hair there for a moment before stilling. He knew that Geralt wouldn't fall asleep until he did, and made it a point to even out his breathing. No matter how quickly Geralt wanted to find the mage and set things right, there was a truth in Jaskiers words: it was going to be a while before they made any progress. He could stop worrying about it for tonight. 

~~~  
Geralt had been correct in assuming that Roach would wake up before them, but she was very careful not to wake them. She stepped over them carefully, giggling a little at the way they were snuggled up with each other. It was sweet, really, that Geralt spent so much time pushing Jaskier away just for the bard to spend all of his time pushing back. If only they hadn’t been playing this game for the past twenty years she would find it sweeter. 

She closed the door behind her and made her way down the stairs, stopping when she smelled the food coming out of the kitchen. Her stomach grumbled, and she pressed a hand to it with a pained look on her face. Whenever she’d stayed in a stable they’d always just brought it to her. How had Geralt done it last night?

She approached the counter, trying to imitate his swagger as she did so, and leaned on it, making eye contact with the innkeeper. “Is there any way I can get some of whatever it is that smells so good?” She asked, imitating Geralt’s glower as well.

The innkeeper smiled warmly, much too warmly for someone so early in the morning, and nodded. “I’ll have a bowl out for you in a minute or two, my lady.” She said, disappearing into the back room. 

Roach congratulated herself on this major win, already making a note to brag to Geralt about it later. The downstairs of the inn, littered with tables and chairs for people to sit and eat. It was mostly empty, but that wasn't surprising. It wasn't around the time yet that Geralt would usually come around and feed her, so presumably most other humans were asleep still. The animals were awake, though. And the innkeeper. 

A bowl was placed in front of her, but the woman stopped her before she could pick up a spoon. "That'll be three ducats, m'lady." She said with a smile, and Roach's pleasant facade dropped. She had no idea what a ducat even was. 

"Uh.. do you remember the Geralt? The big guy with the long white hair? He's going to take care of the… ducat. Uh. When he wakes up." She said, nodding her head to try and sell it. 

The woman nodded her understanding and stepped away to finish getting ready for the rest of the morning. Roach breathed a sigh of relief, finally taking a bite of her food. And oh it tasted so good. Just like the time she'd gotten into Jaskier's rations - it must be the same thing, just cooked. Oatmeal. 

"God, I love oatmeal." She mumbled, biting into a blueberry and savoring every bit of it. She'd never have gotten this if she'd never been a human. She sighed, ordering another bowl of it before she could stop herself. By the time she was ready to go about her day she had eaten three more bowls of the stuff, quietly sneaking out before the innkeeper tried to get ducats out of her again. 

She pranced to the stables, taking a moment to visit every horse and scratch them where she knew they never got scratched. She felt very full, and it was pleasant to sit in the stable for a little while and give her friends some quality treatment for once. 

There was a horse in the back she wanted to keep her eyes on anyways. The mare was obviously worn down, and aside from her ribs peeking out just a little, there were a myriad of cuts along her flank. Roach spent some extra time with her, although she seemed afraid of humans, giving her some extra treats that she'd stolen from Jaskier before leaving the room.

It wasn't long however until she plopped herself down in the hay next to a particularly friendly horse and leaned her head against the stall, her eyes slipping shut. She couldn't be blamed, really, after all that food. Humans needed a lot more rest than horses, apparently. What would it hurt if she took a little nap? 

~~~

Giggling. That's what woke her up. She did so with a snort, jolting upwards into a standing position. The horse next to her nickered as if to tease her, and she shot it a look before looking around the stable. 

Standing near the door was a woman, wearing a riding dress and little hat to keep her hair from going all over the place while on a horse. She had a very fond smile on her face, looking at Roach as if she expected something from her. 

Roach could only stare open-mouthed, taking her in from head to toe. She was absolutely gorgeous, and Roach had never felt this way about any girl before. Usually when they were looking at her like this their gaze was directed at Geralt, but this time…

Roach's cheeks went red and she closed her mouth, taking a step towards the woman. 

"I- uh. You seem very fair and beauteous. M'lady." She added as an afterthought, hoping that those words she'd heard Jaskier use actually made sense. He had a knack for poetry, and it was the only thing that came to her mind as she looked at the stranger. 

The woman's face brightened and she laughed a little bit. "Thank you. I was hoping for some help with my horse." She said, pointing at the one that had teased Roach a minute ago, and Roach looked back and forth between the two for a minute before realization dawned on her. 

"Oh! I don't work here actually, I'm a visitor to the inn. But, I can help actually. I guess you could say I'm intimate with how a horse likes to be treated." She turned, pointing at the horse to warn it to behave before opening the gate and stepping in. As she began to prepare the horse, she talked through every step. 

"Oh, this blanket is very soft. He loves this for sure. Usually humans get one made out of, uh, harsh fabric? And it's very itchy. Not fun. And a very beautiful saddle too. I'm sure he feels very special." She grabbed the bit, making a face as she did so. "And this? He hates this. It rubs the back of your mouth all day, it's very uncomfortable." She said, hooking a finger in her mouth to try and show her what she meant. The girl laughed, and Roach's heart warmed. "But don't worry. I can tell that you're good to him, or he'd fight me more." She said, easily putting the bit in place and securing the reins. 

She proudly led the horse out of the stall, tying him up against a post so the lady could mount him without trouble. "I think he looks rather handsome, don't you?" She asked, and the woman nodded. 

"That he does. You did very well, maybe you should work here." She complimented, running an appreciative hand over her horse's neck. Why didn't humans pet each other? Why didn't they just touch each other more?

"I would if it meant seeing handsome horses such as yours. And even more beautiful ladies." She complimented again, and the woman's cheeks reddened, hiding her smile behind her hand. "You don't have any bags with you? Traveling light?"

"I'm actually just going for a day trip. I'm here with my brother for almost a fortnight…" she paused, glancing around them for a moment before taking a step closer. "I'll be back tonight, I would appreciate your help with my horse again if you wouldn't mind. Some of these men - you wouldn't believe how they act. I'd feel much more comfortable if you were helping me put him away." She said, looking almost nervous, and Roach smiled wide. 

"I would love to- If we're still here tonight, that is. I'm not sure if we're to move on today or not." She really hoped not. "It would be my honor." 

The woman smiled and gave a slight curtsey in her direction. "I look forward to it then. I'm Francesca. Of Vizima." She said, holding out her hand, and it took Roach a minute to remember what she'd seen Jaskier do in the past. 

She held Francesca's hand lightly, bending over it with a deep and dramatic bow before straightening and meeting her eyes again. "I'm Roach. Of… everywhere." She said, making a sweeping gesture towards the mountains framing the landscape outside of the door. 

Francesca looked taken aback for a minute before bursting out in laughter. Were it not for how sweet her smile was when it finally subsided, Roach might have been offended. 

"What a cute nickname. Roach of Everywhere." She shook her head, looking as though she were about to continue the teasing before a deep voice interrupted them. They lept apart from each other, their heads swiveling towards the doorway. 

"Roach," It was Geralt. Finally awake and at the worst time. "We've been looking for you." He took a couple steps into the stable before he saw Francesca, freezing in place. "Sorry to interrupt." 

"Oh. I didn't know you were traveling with the Witcher. He's not your father, is he?" Francesca asked, and the look on her face made it seem like she understood why Roach had such a brute-ish nickname. 

Roach met Geralt's gaze for a moment, opening her mouth to oppose the idea before he interrupted her. Again. 

"In all the ways that matter, yes. I hope you don't mind if I borrow her," he directed the next part of his sentence to Roach herself. "You shouldn't wander off without telling us where you're going."

She rolled her eyes, giving Francesca a friendly wave and another dramatic bow before following Geralt out of the barn. He was quiet, which wasn't unusual, but she had expected him to at least ask her about what she had been doing in the barn. 

Jaskier waved them over to a table looking positively tired, and she laughed when she saw him, skipping over and tussling his hair with abandon. He batted her hands away, not a morning person, and she just stuck her tongue out at him before sitting down. 

"I swear, you're as much of a pest as you were when you were a horse. Now I know that the number of times you've bitten me or messed with my hair have been on purpose and were personal attacks." He accused, and she shrugged. 

"And you're as much of a pest as you were when I was a horse." She said, crossing her arms on the table in front of her. Geralt settled next to her, a small smile on his face, the same one he got whenever he was teasing Jaskier. 

"You really are his horse, aren't you? I didn't realize a horse could pick up mannerisms from people. Leave it to the Witcher and his noble steed." He complained, although he brightened as the innkeeper approached them with food. She set down two bowls and began to walk away before Gerslt stopped her. 

"I asked for three, ma'am. The girl needs to eat." He said gruffly, motioning with his thumb. The innkeeper looked at him like he was crazy before responding. 

"She had almost five bowls just two hours ago, sir. I can bring her another if you'd like, but I didn't think she'd be able to make any use of it." 

Geralt turned to Roach, bewildered, but the look only caused Roach to puff her chest out with pride. Jaskier waved the innkeeper away quickly before she witnessed the fit that Geralt looked about ready to throw. 

"Who needs five bowls of oatmeal? Do you know how much five bowls of oatmeal costs?" He asked, and Roach rolled her eyes. 

"What do I care, Geralt? I'm not a human." She stuck her nose up in the air indignantly. Geralt only sighed, turning to his food and taking a bite. Grumpy but resigned. 

"Wow. You do spoil her, don't you?" Jaskier said, watching them both with a bemused look on his face. "Well then, Roach the-not-human. Tell us what you've been up to since Geralt and I have slept away the morning apparently.

"I got my food all by myself, like a proper person." She shot Geralt a glare, as if making some kind of point. "And then went to the stables to visit the horses. There was one there I wanted to show you, Geralt. I think she's being hurt and I don't like it." 

"Hmm. And the girl?" He asked, and Roach's face reddened slightly despite her mood turning from sour to sweet. 

"Francesca." She said, sounding dreamy. "Fair Francesca. What is it you say, Jaskier? I'm very sweet on her. I used some of your moves."

Jaskier perked up a little bit, grinning between his two friends. "Finally, someone who appreciates the effect I have on the opposite sex. Tell me what you did." 

"Well, I told her she was very fair. And beauteous! The whole time I was with her my chest felt so heavy, like it was to be my end. And I bent down like this." She stood and motioned for Geralt's hand, bending over it just like she'd done with Francesca. "And she has the most wondrous laugh." Roach sighed as she sat down, looking off into the distance with a bright look on her face. 

"And you thought it was me she received her mannerisms from. Remind me not to let you spend so much time alone with her." Geralt said, taking a sip from the mug in front of him. Jaskier looked like he'd just been given a present.

"You're an absolute poet!" He beamed, despite the fact that she had only been restating his own words to him. Maybe that's why he liked them so much. "There's a song here; with words like a song // it seemed only fair // love it had found her // though she just a -" he paused, speaking the next word. "Mare? No, no. But something like that." 

Roach didn't look at all perturbed by his composing; if anything, it made her fall deeper into her own thoughts. "She said she'd like to see me tonight, if we're still here. She wants my help putting her horse away, said that she doesn't trust the boys." 

"A midnight rendezvous! How absolutely romantic. You should let me do your hair a little bit, maybe some rouge on your cheeks-"

"It sounds like she just wants someone to give her free labor." Geralt said stiffly, and both Jaskier and Roach froze at the tone of his voice. 

"It can't hurt for her to talk to other humans, Geralt. She's stuck with us all the time - why shouldn't she make some new friends?" Jaskier asked. 

"And what shall she say, Jas? 'I know we're close friends and all but I'm actually a horse?' People in these parts don't take kindly to curses, and if they don't hang her they'll no doubt stone her and run her out of town." He gave a slight shake of his head. 

"It's only one night." Roach said, voice adamant. "First you're going to force me to do what I don't want to do, and now I'm not to have any fun in the meantime?" She asked, voice raised slightly, and Jaskier grimaced. 

"I'm trying to protect you. I'm certain you remember the times when we've both born the brunt of what being different means. It's not different just because you look like the rest of them now, trust me." He said, voice low, trying to keep attention from the rest of the patrons off of them. 

"What are you to do? You can't tie me up in the stables anymore, Geralt. I'm not a horse." She enunciated each word with force, standing up and angrily marching her way up the steps of the inn and back to their room. Geralt could hear her throw herself down onto the bed above them, and decided to stop listening.

There was silence at the table before Jaskier spoke up. 

"She's right you know. If she really wanted to do it there's really no way you could stop her." He finished his oatmeal and put the bowl aside, leaning forward. Geralt growled, hiding his face in his drink. 

"I could hogtie her and throw her over my shoulder." He said, and although he sounded rather serious, Jaskier laughed anyways. 

"But you won't. I don't blame her for wanting some freedom. She has a nice life with you, but being truly free is a much different tale. Maybe it could be good for her to experience it, especially if she doesn't have a choice in the future." He pointed out.

"If she experiences more of it, it will ruin her. It will consume her, Jaskier. Animals aren't meant to be humans. It's against nature." he paused before leaning forward as well. "I'm leaving to go to the next town over. I don't think the mage went very far, as she left all of her supplies in that old cabin. She's probably waiting for us to leave to go looking for her before coming to collect her things, so she can't have gone far. I'll be back in the morning."

"Leaving us behind? Even though it's only a days trip?" Jaskier asked, raising an eyebrow. He didn't particularly like being left behind right in the middle of an adventure he was going to write songs about - Geralt was always so stingy with the details. 

"I don't like the idea of Roach riding on a horse. It'll be better if she stays put and I can't leave her alone. Promise me that you'll keep her out of trouble." Geralt said, and Jaskier put his hands in the air. 

"Hey, I'll try. But I'll remind you that she bit me the last time I tried to touch her." He said, and Geralt glowered. "Fine, I'll do it. But you owe me. I want all the details from your trip. Everything you did." 

Geralt nodded in agreement, rising to his feet. He paused for a minute before pulling out some coins and handing them to the bard. 

"Here. This should cover her meals while I'm away. Don't let her eat too much either." He said, and Jaskier saluted him. 

"Don't worry, I've got this. It's not the first time I've babysat a… whatever she is. Just be back before she kicks me in the head or something." He joked, and Geralt only turned and stomped out of the inn. He had to find a new horse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! 
> 
> I feel like every time I update I add a new chapter haha
> 
> Comments are welcome! Let me know what you think!
> 
> Im posting the chapter on my phone so there isn't much editing happening of the text once I copy and paste it over from google docs but I'll go through on my computer and add italics and stuff at some point!


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